Malal Yousafzai. You may have heard of her. She is the young Pakistani school girl who is an activist promoting the rights for education and for women. In October 2012, this beautiful young woman was shot in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by Taliban gunman who tried to silence her. For days she remained unconscious and in critical condition. The attempt on her life sparked an international outpouring of love and support, and since then, she has become a hero to many. She now travels all over the world as a spokesperson for love and peace. In speaking of the member of the Taliban who shot her, she said, “Even if there was a gun in my hand and he was standing in front of me, I would not shoot him. This is the compassion I have learned from Mohamed, the prophet of mercy, Jesus Christ, and Lord Buddha. This is the legacy of change I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Mohammed Ali Jinnah. This is the philosophy of nonviolence that I have learned from Gandhi, Bacha Khan, and Mother Teresa. And this is the forgiveness that I have learned from my father and from my mother. This is what my soul is telling me: Be Peaceful and Love Everyone." At 16 years old, she has probably learned more in this short period of time than most of us are able to learn in a lifetime. She gets it. She knows that love, peace, kindness, and compassion really are the answers to life and she walks her talk. She is joining the ranks of those she mentioned above as being a world spokesperson to teach unconditional love in order to bring about world peace. It does not matter her race, religion, or where she lives. She speaks to all of us. But how many are going to listen and learn the truth of what she teaches? There is an awakening occurring all over the world and people are beginning to learn that unconditional love is the foundation if we are ever to achieve real peace for all. What saddens me is that there are so many religions, denominations, and church leaders who have this wonderful opportunity to bring people together through the power of love, but instead, we are hearing the extremists propagate so much hate, bigotry, and racism through the pulpits, writings, and media. People are starting to see the hypocrisy because they know this isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. It is said that God is love, but where is the love when such vitriol is being spewed forth? People are using fear and guilt to try to control people to their way of believing. Sure it may work for some, but it’s turning many more away. We wonder why so many are turning their backs on God, religion, and church, and this is one of the very reasons why. (I am definitely not pointing my fingers at any particular person or group of people; I’m speaking in generalities.) People are desperate to be loved and embraced just the way they are. They are tired of being judged and condemned just because they may not believe a particular way. They are tired of being turned away from churches because of the way they look, their past experiences, or their lifestyle. They know that Jesus was the epitome of unconditional love and he made this his greatest commandment. “Love one another as I have loved you.” It was also made very clear in the Bible not to judge, and yet judging seems to be the norm any more. Even though the Dalai Lama is a Buddhist, even he gets it when he says, “My religion is kindness.” Why can’t we all just be kind to one another regardless of our differences? I realize there are some who will not agree with me and that’s okay. You will never hear me tell anyone that they have to believe the way I do or condemn them because they believe something different. The lesson of unconditional love is one I am trying to learn myself. It’s not always easy, especially when I see others, particularly in religion and politics, doing harm through their words and actions. Ms. Yousafzai’s example gives me hope. Hope for humanity, our country, and our world. As more and more people join the movement of love and peace, regardless of who they are, what they believe, or where they live, we know we move closer to achieving world peace, among all people, all religions, all cultures, and all walks of life. Will you join me and the many others who are striving to bring people together? Will you be the change you wish to see in the world? Published in the Cookeville Herald Citizen newspaper November 8, 2013..

One of my favorite sayings of mine is “The church may be considered God’s house, but the heart is his home.” For those of us who do worship in a church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or maybe even in nature, we hopefully do so because we want to somehow find a way to become closer to God, Spirit, Universe, Nature (or the God of our understanding). We may go because we enjoy the teachings, the music, and/or the camaraderie of our fellow seekers. We may go because we like to be with people of like-mind, those who believe the way we do. We may also go because some of us do learn from the teachings from man. And for those who are closest to God in nature, we may go because we can feel God’s energy from this magnificent earth whose beauty was created out of God’s love. It’s wonderful that we have such a wide diversity of places and ways to worship. Churches and other places of worship should be a place where people can go to feel loved, uplifted, and where they can feel better coming out than they did when they went in. People should feel nurtured, embraced, safe, and welcomed. They should be able to feel this regardless of color, race, religion, gender, or walk of life. God loves all his children and this should be felt even in the buildings or other places people gather to share their love for God. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case, and people are beginning to leave churches for various reasons. As a minister, some people have confided in me that they refuse to ever go to a church again because when they tried, they were judged, condemned, or some were even turned away being told they weren’t welcome there for whatever reasons, sometimes because of the way they looked or because of their lifestyle. Granted there are many churches representing various religions and denominations who are very welcoming, inclusive, and who choose to love anyone who walks in their door. Jesus, who was one of the greatest examples of unconditional love, never turned his back on anyone regardless of whom they were or where they stood in society. James Dillet Freeman (1912-2003), an internationally celebrated poet, speaker, and author, had been called a modern day Ralph Waldo Emerson. He wrote many wonderful stories and poems, which have been read by millions of people all over the world including having his poems taken by astronauts to the moon twice! He served the Unity School of Christianity as a teacher, writer, and speaker and many of his writings have been featured in “The Daily Word,” a Unity publication. I would like to share with you one of his writings titled “Blessings for a Church.” “This is God’s house. May we who come here not only find out about God, but find God. May there be beauty in this place, but especially may it be a place where men and women become aware of the beauty in themselves. May this be a place of worship. May this be a place of instruction. May this be a place of singing. May this be a place of prayer. But for those of us who worship and take instruction and sing and pray, May this always be a place of inner stillness, Where we may listen and hear when God speaks. May whoever ministers here minister in love. May whoever teaches here teach truth. May whoever serves here serve pleasantly. May everyone come into this house in expectation, and go with thanksgiving, and may anyone who comes needing help go feeling blest. May this be such a house that Jesus Christ ~ or any stranger, even the least ~ would feel in it that he was with friends.” (This is a poem, but is condensed for space.) Personally, this poem speaks of my ideal place of worship, regardless of where that place may be, regardless of what religion, or who may attend. Everyone should feel blessed. Mr. Freeman also wrote what is called the “Prayer for Protection,” which is said weekly at many, if not most, Unity Churches at the end of their services. “The Light of God surrounds Us; The Love of God enfolds Us; The Power of God protects Us; and the Presence of God watches over Us; Wherever we are, God is! And all is well!” God is where you find him. Some find him in a church, some find him in nature, and/or some find him within. Wherever you find him, may you feel loved, nurtured, embraced, and at peace. Published in the Cookeville Herald Citizen newspaper May 3, 2013.

Attachments. We all have them. We’re attached to the people we love, we’re attached to our pets, we’re attached to objects, our homes, cars, TVs, computers, cell phones, and on and on it goes. We also have attachments to the way we want things to be, and the way we want things to go. We’re attached to our beliefs and opinions. I admit it. I have a lot of attachments of my own. But the more I learn about attachments, the more I am trying to release them. The more I release them, the more at peace I find myself in any given situation. Some of the biggest attachments we have are to our beliefs and opinions. We don’t want to let them go; nor do we want them to change in any way. Yet most of those beliefs were taught to us by someone else, and opinions are just thoughts based upon our beliefs. Once I learned to let go of those attachments when it came to my beliefs, and opened myself up to learning all the Universe would have for me to know, the knowledge and wisdom I started to gain went into hyper-speed. I learned to trust Spirit as my master teacher rather than to rely on man. One of the attachments I’m learning to let go is my attachment to thinking that all people should be loving, caring, and compassionate. It would be nice if they were; but they’re not. So when I read articles or letters to editors that are filled with hate, bigotry, and ignorance, Spirit really has to give me a talking to in order to keep my blood from boiling. Spirit says, “Karen, just stand back and be the observer.” I don’t have to have an attachment to someone else’s beliefs or opinions. They have nothing to do with me. It’s more about them and who they are as individuals. When I let Spirit lead, then my heart goes out to them in that they don’t know the pure, unconditional, perfect love of Spirit (or God, if you wish). I ask what happened to them in their lives to make them have so much hate in their hearts? Who taught them that? What did they experience in their lives to make them feel that way? When I ask these questions, then I can feel the compassion take over, and I can just be the observer. I can send them love and light and pray that they will some day know unconditional love and find peace. People may get tired of hearing me say it (or reading it), but unconditional love really is what life’s all about. All the great Spiritual teachers and leaders have said it. Love one another. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34) What part of this do we not understand? He made no exceptions. If someone isn’t speaking words of love, peace, harmony, compassion, kindness, and oneness then they are not speaking for God. They are speaking for man and man’s own personal beliefs. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 states, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” This is a very good truth to keep in mind when we think about the attachments we have as to what we believe and the opinions we express. I just read a great book by don Miguel Ruiz, Jr., a Nagual and Toltec Master of Transformation, titled “The Five Levels of Attachment.” In it he states: “I am love and peace starts with me. I do not see race, creed, religion, gender, or whatever else as a division of the human species. I do not see a belief that tears me away from my brother and sister. I do not see an ego, a personal importance that forbids me from communing with everything in existence. The point of life is to love, and to do so is a choice. In that choice I take action, and in that action, I am love. I have a voice. I can use it to oppress, or I can use it to liberate. I can create, I can lead, and I can love. The same is true for you. Together we can say, I love. All we have and are is love.” Therefore, release your attachments and let love in. See your world through the eyes of Love. It may just change your life. (Published in the Cookeville Herald Citizen March 15, 2013.)

Whenever I sit down to write an article for the Religion section, I search my heart and soul for words to put down on paper that may reach out and touch the reader’s heart. When I sit down to write, I quiet my mind and let the words flow from deep within me. I have to trust that the Spirit of my being is speaking to me and through me as the words flow like water gently trickling down a clear spring brook. I also have to trust that the words will reach those they’re meant to reach. As I was meditating on what to write next, I found this prayer in my drawer that I thought was so beautiful and I felt led to share it with you. Not everyone may understand it or even agree with it, and that’s okay. But this prayer touches my soul and I thought it might touch others as well. It was written by Ilchi Lee and was read at the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders on August 28th, 2000. It’s called “The Prayer of Peace.” (I have divided the lines with a comma.) “I offer this prayer of peace, Not to the Christian God, Nor to the Buddhist God, Nor to the Islamic God, Nor to the Jewish God, But to the God of all humanity. For the peace that we wish for, Is Not a Christian peace, Nor a Buddhist peace, Nor an Islamic peace, Nor a Jewish peace, But a human peace, For all of us. I offer this prayer of peace, To the God that lives within all of us, That fills us with happiness and joy, To make us whole, And help us understand life, As an expression of love for all human beings. For no religion can be better, Than any other religion, For no truth can be truer, Than any other truth, For no nation can be bigger, Than the earth itself. Help us all go beyond, Our small limits, And realize that we are one, That we are all from the earth. That we are all earth people, Before we are Indians, Koreans, or Americans. God made the earth, We humans have to make it prosper, By realizing that we are of the earth And not of any nation, race, or religion, By knowing that we are truly one, In our spiritual heritage. Let us now apologize, To all humanity, For the hurt that religions have caused, So that we can heal the hurt, Let us now promise to one another, To go beyond egotism and competition, To come together as one in God. I offer this prayer of peace, To you the almighty, To help us find you within all of us, So that we may stand proudly, One day before you, As one humanity. I offer this prayer of peace, With all my fellow earth people, For a lasting peace on earth.” There are so many wonderful people out there who are promoting peace among all mankind the world over. John Lennon stated, “You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.” We cannot just wish for peace, we need to live the peace. It needs to come from each and every one of us. We need to let our inner light shine so bright that it overcomes all darkness everywhere in the world. And we do that through love, compassion, kindness, understanding, tolerance, and knowing our interconnectedness in and through everyone and everything in the world. When we harm others, we are really only harming ourselves. The Dalai Lama said, “World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is the manifestation of human compassion.” One way to do this is to find the light in others. Yes, it may be very difficult to see it in some people because their light has been covered up with so much pain and suffering. But it’s there. Gandhi said, “If you don’t find God in the next person you meet, don’t waste time looking for him further.” I posted this last quote on my Facebook page and it was quickly shared over a hundred times. People got it. And more and more are getting it every day. God/Spirit is in each and every one of us and it is only until we can see it in each other, regardless of color, race, religion, politics, culture, sexual preference and so on, that we will know and feel how much a part of each other we really are. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. (Published in the Cookeville Herald Citizen newspaper February 1, 2013.)